Notre Dame just put the finishing touches on a 2026 recruiting class that doesn’t just look elite on paper - it’s historic. With the final On3/Rivals rankings now locked in, the Irish have officially claimed the No. 1 class in the country, and the depth, star power, and positional dominance across the board tell the full story.
Let’s start at the top. Offensive tackle Grayson McKeogh out of LaSalle College in Pennsylvania headlines the group.
At 6-foot-7, 280 pounds, McKeogh is a towering presence with the athleticism and technique to match. He finishes ranked as the No. 7 overall player in the country and the No. 3 offensive tackle - and he’s just one of five Notre Dame signees to earn five-star status.
Right behind him, at No. 8 nationally, is Rodney Dunham, a disruptive edge rusher from Myers Park in Charlotte. Dunham, also ranked as the No. 3 edge player in the class, brings speed, power, and a relentless motor to a position where Notre Dame is stacking serious talent.
The Irish didn’t just dominate in the trenches - they cleaned up in the secondary, too. Cornerback Khary Adams (No. 23 overall) and safety Joey O’Brien (No. 25) give Notre Dame two Top 30 playmakers on the back end.
Adams, out of Loyola Blakefield in Maryland, is the No. 3 corner in the country, while O’Brien, from LaSalle College (yes, same school as McKeogh), is the No. 1 safety in the class. That kind of talent on the back end is rare - and Notre Dame is the only program in the country with multiple five-star defensive backs in this cycle.
And there’s more. Ayden Pouncey, a corner from Winter Park, Florida, made one of the biggest jumps in the final rankings, climbing over 60 spots to land at No. 34 overall.
He just missed five-star status but still finishes as the No. 3 cornerback in the nation. Even with Knoxville Catholic’s Chaz Smith taking a surprising 80-spot drop to No. 184 - despite not playing a snap since the last update - Notre Dame still boasts four defensive backs inside the Top 200.
At tight end, Notre Dame might have the best duo in the country. Ian Premer, a dynamic weapon from Great Bend, Kansas, held firm at No. 27 overall and finishes as the No. 1 tight end in the class.
Premer did it all in high school - catching passes, running the ball, playing defense, and even returning kicks. Preston Fryzel, out of Central Catholic in Toledo, rounds out the group as the No. 195 overall player and the No. 9 tight end.
No other program signed two Top 10 tight ends in 2026.
On the defensive line, Ebenezer Ewetade gives the Irish another Top 40 presence. The South Garner (N.C.) edge rusher slipped slightly to No. 38 overall but still ranks as one of the top 10 edge players in the class. Pairing him with Dunham makes Notre Dame the only team in the country to land two Top 10 edge rushers - a nightmare scenario for future opposing quarterbacks.
The Irish backfield is also in good hands. Jonaz Walton (No. 121 overall, No.
6 RB) out of Carrollton, Georgia, and Javian Osborne (No. 135 overall, No. 9 RB) from Forney, Texas, give Notre Dame a versatile, explosive one-two punch.
Only Notre Dame and USC managed to sign two Top 10 running backs in this class.
At wide receiver, Kaydon Finley from Aledo, Texas, checks in at No. 122 overall, while Devin Fitzgerald from Brophy College Prep in Phoenix made a late surge into the Top 300, landing at No. 243.
Fitzgerald had previously been unranked, so that leap speaks volumes about his development. On the flip side, Bubba Frazier - a talented athlete from Benedictine Military in Savannah - dropped out of the Top 300 despite no change in his playing status.
Up front, the Irish added two more offensive tackles to pair with McKeogh. Gregory Patrick (No. 213 overall) from Portage Northern in Michigan and Charlie Thom (No. 228) from Avon Old Farms in Connecticut round out a strong haul in the trenches. Thom’s rise from unranked three-star to Top 300 status after a prep year shows just how much upside he brings.
On the interior defensive line, Elijah Golden from Cardinal Mooney in Sarasota, Florida, earned a spot at No. 229 overall. Despite a dominant senior campaign - 39 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, and a state title - Golden somehow didn’t climb higher, but he still earned first-team All-American honors from On3/Rivals.
Then there’s quarterback Teddy Jarrard. Originally a member of the 2027 class, Jarrard reclassified to 2026 and now ranks No. 242 overall. He had been a Top 75 player in the younger class, and though the drop is notable, the talent is still very much there.
When it’s all said and done, Notre Dame had seven signees ranked inside the Top 50 - more than any other program in the country. In fact, the Irish had as many Top 30 players (five) as most teams had in the entire Top 50. Only Ohio State and USC matched that kind of top-tier presence.
This class isn’t just about numbers or stars on paper - it’s about stacking elite talent at premium positions, building depth across the board, and setting the foundation for a national title run. Notre Dame didn’t just win Signing Day. They sent a message to the rest of college football: the Irish are loading up, and the future in South Bend looks dangerously bright.